Multicolor ball-point writer



July 27, 1965 u. HOFMANN MULTICOLOR BALL-POINT WRITER Original Filed July 21, 1961 INVENTOR ULRICH HOFMANN ATTORNEY.

United States Patent H 4 Claims. (Cl. 120-145) The present invention relates to a multicolor ball-point writer.

This is a divisional application of the co-pending patent application Serial No. 127,165, filed July 21, 1961, now Patent No. 3,152,578, issued October 13, 1964.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a multicolor ball-point writer, wherein the lead or the cartridge, released by its own gravity, is not brought into its operative Writing position, as it has been done before, through the upper housing portion, rather by means of a push-button known in connection with one-color ballpoint writers and disposed at the upper end of the writing device. If, however, a push-button arrangement of the known single-color structure were used, the required unusually long push-button would lead to a writing device of proportions which cannot be accepted.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a multi-color ball-point writer, wherein the known method of retaining the lead or cartridge-holding means in slots is abandoned, rather disposing the leador cartridge-holding means in a cage, which is rigidly secured to the upper portion of the writing device and which is merely set on or secured by thread means to the lower portion of the housing. By this arrangement, no advancing movement is required during the exchange of a lead or of a cartridge, rather by sliding off or threading ofi the lower portion of the housing, all leads or cartridges are accessible and can be removed and exchanged. The present structure does not require any additional movement of the push-button during a lead or cartridge change, which push-button permits selectively to move the ditierent-colored leads or cartridges into writing position. In this case the mechanical structure known in connection with one-color ball-point writers is used.

By means of a slight inclination of the writing device, the direction of which can be set on the housing by color markers (not shown), the insertion of the respective color leads or cartridges into the mechanical device of the pushbutton can be brought about. pressed down, the latter assumes a closed system of mechanical forces with the lead or cartridge determined by the particular inclined position of the writing device. Since the push-button is retained in the writing position by the known mechanical means, the pressure exerted during writing, which is transferred over the lead or cartridge and the leador cartridge-holding means directly to a movable body, brings about the closed system of mechanical forces.

If the chosen lead or cartridge is to be transferred into its withdrawn position, then a new operation of the pushbutton is required, the same as is known in connection with one-color writing devices. If, however, a lead or cartridge disposed already in writing position is to be replaced by a lead or cartridge of a different color, the writing device must be brought into a position characterized by color markers (not shown) and the push-button must be pressed twice. During the first pressure period, the previously operating lead or cartridge is brought into its withdrawn position. During this withdrawal of the previously operating lead or cartridge the movable intermediate body changes its position, so that upon the sec- If the push-button is U ond pressure of the push-button the new lead or cartridge is moved into writing position. The path of the pushbutton amounts here only to about one half of the path WhlCh must be provided for slides of conventional multicolor writing devices. By this arrangement a rather favorable proportion of the design of the writing device is achieved.

The present structure permits the design of the writing devices in a handy smooth housing, which is not interrupted by slots and slides and also not by a movable cap, and which can be gripped and clasped at any time over its entire length. The springs for the return movement of the leads or cartridges are formed as tension springs, disposed around the leador cartridge-holding means, whereby space is gained inside of the device and a simple mounting of the mechanical means is made possible. By this simple structure it is also possible to form all parts, except the springs, out of artificial material, which reduces appreciably the manufacturing costs and furthermore assures a pleasant appearance and a low weight of the device.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawings, disclosing by example a three-color ball-point writer, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an axial section of the push-button arrangement of the multicolor ball-point writer;

FIG. 2 is an axial section of the housing which receives the inner structure of the multicolor ball-point writer;

FIG. 3 is an axial section of the cage;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the cage shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary axial section of another embodiment of the push-button;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the spring shown in FIG. 5; and r FIG. 7 is an elevation of the inner structure of the ballpoint writer.

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, the present structure makes use of the mechanical means known in connection with one-color writing devices as shown in FIG. 1. In these known devices, upon operation of a push-button, the transformation from the writing position into the non-writing position and vice versa is brought about.

Thus the structure comprises a push-button 1 and an annular groove 6is provided on the push-button 1, while an annular saw-tooth-shaped groove 7 is provided at the lower end of a closing bushing 5 and another annular sawtooth-shaped groove 8' is provided in the upper part of the housing 8 intermediate its end. An axially disposed groove 7 disposed in the bushing 5 connects the annular groove 6 with the saw-tooth-shaped groove 7 and a ball 3 moves in the grooves 6, 7 and 7 upon axial movement of the push-button 1.

Referring now to FIG. 7, a cage 9 serves substantially for the reception of leador cartridge-holding means.

Furthermore, the cage 9 is secured to the housing, which consists of two parts (FIG. 2). The upper part 10 of the housing can be rigidly secured to the cage 9, while the lower part 11 of the housing, which is equipped at its upper end with an inner thread 12 complementary to the thread 12 provided at the lower end of the cage 9', can be taken off or screwed off for changing the leads or cartridges 13'. The latter are accessible upon removal of the lower part 11 of the housing and can be withdrawn from the leador cartridge-holders. This arrangement brings about the advantage that the individual parts can be mounted easily while being outside of the housing, as shown in FIG. 2.

The cage 9, as disclosed in FIGS. 3 and 4, has three channels disposed concentrically around the median axis thereof, in which channels the guide members 15 of the individual leador cartridge-holders 14 move. The guide members 15 can be formed as pins, as hollow cylinders or half cylinders or, also, be formed as prisms and are connected or integral with the leador cartridge-holders.

Referring now again to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 3 and 4, which disclose an embodiment of the cage 9, the latter is formed in such manner that springs 23 surround the guide members 15 of the leador cartridge-holders 14. Furthermore, in accordance with the arrangement of FIGS. and 6, no projections are required on the push-button 1. A chamber 24 is provided for a spring 25 in the push-button 1, which spring 25 is adapted to cause the return of the push-button 1, which chamber 24 is formed such that, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a pin 29, suspended at the upper end of the spring 25 by means of a suspension hook, can be subjected to a pendulum movement.

Referring now to FIG. 7 of the drawings, it will be observed that in accordance with the present invention, a spring 25 is provided, which serves the return of the push-button 1'. The pin 29 is suspended from the annular disk 26 and the spring 25' extends beyond the chamber 24'. The push-button 1 together with its spring 25' projecting downwardly, as well as the cage 9' are surrounded by the upper part of the housing.

While I have disclosed several embodiments of the pres ent invention, it is to be understood that these embodiments are given by example only and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the present invention being determined by the objects and the claims.

I claim:

1. A multicolor ball-point writer, comprising a longitudinal housing including an upper part and a lower part,

said upper part being removably secured to said lower part,

said upper part and said lower part having equal outer diameter,

a bushing disposed in the upper portion of said upper part of said housing,

a push-button received in and guided in said bushing,

said bush putton defining a substantially cylindrical chamber and having a substantially cylindrical outer face,

a helical spring received in and extending to the upper end of said chamber and tending to urge said pushbutton to its outermost position,

a pin pivotally mounted in the upper end of said chamber and moving axially jointly with said push-button, as well as surrounded by said spring over its entire length,

a cage having a lower threaded portion received in said lower part of said housing and having a smooth walled upper portion,

inserted from below in the and secured to said upper part of said housing, such that said lower threaded portion extends from the lower end of said upper part of said housing,

a plurality of guide members axially displaceable in said cage upon inclination of said pin into any selected in- 4- clined position for engagement with one of said guide members and axial movement of said pin,

a lead holder receiving a lead and disposed coaxially in axial alignment with and secured to the corresponding of said guide members,

a ball operating arresting mechanism disposed jointly in said push-button and said bushing, in order to retain said pin and, thereby, selectively said guide members and said lead holders in their advanced operative positions,

said cage having a plurality of channels equal in number with that of said guide members,

said channels having a narrow opening at their bottom,

and

said cage having a lowermost outer diameter determined by the diameter of said guide members and of said channels.

2. The multicolor ball-point writer, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said push-button has on its outer face an annular groove,

said bushing has on its inner surface an axially disposed groove extending downwardly from said annular groove of said push-button in the inoperative outer position of the latter, and a saw-tooth-shaped groove close to its lower end, and said upper part of said housing,

a ball movable from said annular groove of said pushbutton upon axial motion of the latter through said axially disposed groove into said 'saw-tooth-shaped groove to assume an upper and a lower resting position, respectively, dependent upon the operative and inoperative position of said writer, respectively.

3. The multicolor ball-point writer, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pin has an upper suspension hook, and

said spring engaging the upper end of said cage has a bent upper end locked with said suspension hook for compression of said spring upon operation of said push-button.

4. The multicolor ball-point writer, as set forth in claim 1, which includes a helical spring surrounding each of said guide members, and

one end of said spring engaging the lower ends of said channels of said cage.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,163,515 6/39 Fend -14.5 3,025,833 3/62 Fend 120-145 3,084,670 4/63 Dollinger 120-4203 3,084,671 4/63 Dottlinger 120-4203 FOREIGN PATENTS 985,667 3/51 France. 1,023,101 12/62 France. 1,091,233 10/54 France.

937,964 9/63 Great Britain.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Examiner. 

1. A MULTICOLOR BALL-POINT WRITER, COMPRISING A LONGITUDINAL HOUSING INCLUDING AN UPPER PART AN A LOWER PART, SAID UPPER PART BEING REMOVABLY SECURED TO SAID LOWER PART, SAID UPPER PART AND SAID LOWER PART HAVING EQUAL OUTER DIAMETER, A BUSHING DISPOSED IN THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID UPPER PART OF SAID HOUSING, A PUSH-BUTTOM RECEIVED IN SAID GUIDED IN SAID BUSHING, SAID BUSH PUTTON DEFINING A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER AND HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL OUTER FACE, A HELICAL SPRING RECEIVED IN AND EXTENDING TO THE UPPER END OF SAID CHAMBER AND TENDING TO URGE SAID PUSHBUTTOM TO ITS OUTERMOST POSITION, A PIN PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN THE UPPER END OF SAID CHAMBER AND MOVING AXIALLY JOINTLY WITH SAID PUSH-BUTTON, AS WELL AS SURROUNED BY SAID SPRING OVER ITS ENTIRE LENGTH, A CAGE HAVING A LOWER THREADED PORTION RECEIVED IN SAID LOWER PART OF SAID HOUSING AND HAVING A SMOOTH WALLED UPPER PORTION, INSERTED FROM BELOW IN THE AND SECURED TO SAID UPPER PART OF SAID HOUSING, SUCH THAT SAID LOWER THREADED PORTION EXTENDS FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID UPPER PART OF SAID HOUSING, A PLURALITY OF GUIDE MEMBERS AXIALLY DISPLACEABLE IN SAID CAGE UPON INCLINATION OF SAID PIN INTO ANY SELECTED INCLINED POSITION FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE OF SAID GUIDE MEMBERS AND AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID PIN, A LEAD HOLDER RECEIVING A LEAD AND DISPOSED COAXIALLY IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH AND SECURED TO THE CORRESPONDING OF SAID GUIDE MEMBERS, A BALL OPERATING ARRESTING MECHANISM DISPOSED JOINTLY IN SAID PUSH-BUTTON AND SAID BUSHING, IN ORDER TO RETAIN SAID PIN AND, THEREBY, SELECTIVELY SAID GUIDE MEMBERS AND SAID LEAD HOLDERS IN THEIR ADVANCED OPERATIVE POSITIONS, SAID CAGE HAVING A PLURALITY OF CHANNELS EQUAL IN NUMBER WITH THAT OF SAID GUIDE MEMBERS, SAID CHANNELS HAVING A NARROW OPENING AT THEIR BOTTOM, AND SAID CAGE HAVING A LOWERMOST OUTER DIAMETER DETERMINED BY THE DIAMETER OF SAID GUIDE MEMBERS AND OF SAID CHANNELS. 